Mimosa trees

[JohnAndSancho]

Of course I have a story before I ask my question. We had one of these in the backyard when I was a kid. It got hit by lightning and my dad put a hose clamp on it after it split in half, kinda cool. Anyway they grow in the woods here, but on my way to town last week I noticed one was growing wild in the cracks on a bridge. How well do these transplant? I think it'd be easier to get one out of cracks in concrete than digging a big one out of the woods.. I'll just turn the hazard lights on and wear an orange shirt lol..

[Chester B]

I don't know the answer to your question but they also are easy to start from seed.  If you have one, you will generally have volunteers popping up.

[JohnAndSancho]

12 hours ago, Chester B said:

I don't know the answer to your question but they also are easy to start from seed.  If you have one, you will generally have volunteers popping up.

They're everywhere here. The one that I thought growing on the bridge turned out to be a branch from a massive unit growing on the banks of the Chickasaway River. I guess I'll look for a smaller one since I'm in no shape or mood to try and unearth or disturb anything significant. 

[amh]

6 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

They're everywhere here. The one that I thought growing on the bridge turned out to be a branch from a massive unit growing on the banks of the Chickasaway River. I guess I'll look for a smaller one since I'm in no shape or mood to try and unearth or disturb anything significant. 

Just collect some seeds, in your environment they will grow very fast.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, amh said:

Just collect some seeds, in your environment they will grow very fast.

That sounds easier than digging up a tree. There's tiny ones in yards everywhere but I'd like to find something bigger than that. It shouldn't be hard, just wander into the woods with a machete for the vines and wear more than my usual outfit of basketball shorts and slides. I've already pulled 3 ticks off my legs this year just walking the dog. And I really need to clean up the wild Sabal and check it for inflourences.  

[amh]

16 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

That sounds easier than digging up a tree. There's tiny ones in yards everywhere but I'd like to find something bigger than that. It shouldn't be hard, just wander into the woods with a machete for the vines and wear more than my usual outfit of basketball shorts and slides. I've already pulled 3 ticks off my legs this year just walking the dog. And I really need to clean up the wild Sabal and check it for inflourences.  

Mimosas grow really fast and even if you start one from seed now, it may be as tall as you by winter. Since they are so common in your area, I would try to take some cuttings and see what happens.

I used to use the Ben's 100% DEET for insect repellent, but it can act as a solvent for synthetic materials.

[JohnAndSancho]

On 6/19/2025 at 9:58 PM, amh said:

Mimosas grow really fast and even if you start one from seed now, it may be as tall as you by winter. Since they are so common in your area, I would try to take some cuttings and see what happens.

You know what's crazy? I was walking the dog and we rarely walk behind the old shed. My grandfather used to store his tractor and firewood there and now it's just infested with whatever animals cats don't kill. 

 

Anyway I look down and there's a couple 2 foot trees with a couple old pots laying in the leaves right next to them. I really wanna go grab them but I really don't want to need to take another shower this early in the day. This heat and humidity is brutal. But if I go I can clean up the Sabal Minor and check it for inflourences. 

[JohnAndSancho]

The ones I wanted were rooted into tree roots. They uhhh... They did not survive my shovel. But it's not like there's thousands more growing all over here. 

[amh]

14 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

The ones I wanted were rooted into tree roots. They uhhh... They did not survive my shovel. But it's not like there's thousands more growing all over here. 

They are fast growers in areas of wet heat, even where I live they will grow to taller than I can reach in a year.

[JohnAndSancho]

18 minutes ago, amh said:

They are fast growers in areas of wet heat, even where I live they will grow to taller than I can reach in a year.

Millions of them get ran over by lawnmowers here every year. I guess I just need to find a sturdier one that isn't over my head... And I have no idea how deep their roots go. 

[amh]

2 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Millions of them get ran over by lawnmowers here every year. I guess I just need to find a sturdier one that isn't over my head... And I have no idea how deep their roots go. 

If they are small, not too deep, but the roots will get deep fast.

Try some cuttings.

[JohnAndSancho]

Just now, amh said:

If they are small, not too deep, but the roots will get deep fast.

Try some cuttings.

I can do cuttings. Should I start with a bigger branch or one of the dippy fragile ones? I need to go down the road and rob the sand pile anyway, I can bring the loppers and snag a couple. I'm guessing it's the same process for tropicals where I just put it in a glass of water and wait?.

[amh]

1 minute ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I can do cuttings. Should I start with a bigger branch or one of the dippy fragile ones? I need to go down the road and rob the sand pile anyway, I can bring the loppers and snag a couple. I'm guessing it's the same process for tropicals where I just put it in a glass of water and wait?.

I've never tried to root mimosa, but I would try larger branches, green small branches and even bark. The trees are plentiful, so you have a lot of material to work with.

[JohnAndSancho]

22 minutes ago, amh said:

I've never tried to root mimosa, but I would try larger branches, green small branches and even bark. The trees are plentiful, so you have a lot of material to work with.

Oh yeah. I mean they're not as plentiful as the pines, oaks, or magnolia but there's no shortage of them around here. Christ I could probably cut a branch and dust it with cinnamon and stick it in the dirt and have a tree before fall. 

[amh]

27 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Oh yeah. I mean they're not as plentiful as the pines, oaks, or magnolia but there's no shortage of them around here. Christ I could probably cut a branch and dust it with cinnamon and stick it in the dirt and have a tree before fall. 

Do it, whatta you got to lose.

[JohnAndSancho]

22 minutes ago, amh said:

Do it, whatta you got to lose.

Nothing but time and maybe some dirt. Best case scenario I find a couple Sabal Minors small enough to dig up. Worst case scenario I get shot, but it's family land and I don't think it's still deer season. 

[SeanK]

When I first arrived to ATL years back, these trees were fairly common. However, they were regarded as invasive, weedy, and nuisance. Beautiful flowers that drop in the yard before all the seed pods. Rarely see them now, 20 years later.

[JohnAndSancho]

44 minutes ago, SeanK said:

When I first arrived to ATL years back, these trees were fairly common. However, they were regarded as invasive, weedy, and nuisance. Beautiful flowers that drop in the yard before all the seed pods. Rarely see them now, 20 years later.

Honestly all the little ones around here get chopped up by the lawnmowers. If you look in the grass really hard you might see a sprout, but John Deere is gonna get it.